Video games just feel bigger and better on a TV screen. Surround Sound. HD. A room full of friends. Console gaming isn’t going anywhere, but console games aren’t as much fun as they could be.

That’s why we made OUYA: a new kind of game console, to bring groundbreaking games to the television in an entirely new way.

“Who wouldn’t want a beautiful piece of industrial design that sells for , plugs straight into your TV, and gives you access to a huge library of games?” – Jordan Mechner (creator of Prince of Persia, Karateka)

Games Only on OUYA

You download OUYA games directly to your console — no discs to buy or scratch.

And the games on OUYA are made by some of the most inventive game developers in the business. Favorite franchises like Final Fantasy, brand new never-before-seen titles and hundreds of other games. Shooters, platformers, role-playing games, action games… You name it.

And, best of all, every game on OUYA is free to try. You might end up investing in that coin doubler, buying the healing elixir that extends your life, or unlocking the full version of the game, but everything — absolutely everything — is free to try. We believe you shouldn’t have to buy it unless you love it.

Small… but Powerful

OUYA is about the size of a Rubik’s cube, but it plays hard in full-screen HD. It uses an nVIDIA quad-core CPU and outputs via HDMI at up to a stunning 1080p resolution. It powers on instantly.

Need more storage? No problem. Just plug in an external hard drive into the USB 2.0 port. Like to hardwire your Internet? That’s cool. Jack into OUYA’s high-speed ethernet port. WiFi works too. If you want to develop games, just plug your laptop into our micro-USB port — anyone can release an OUYA game. And the hardware opens so you can customize it if that’s your bag.

We listen to our supporters, and try to evolve OUYA so it always gets better for them. When you buy OUYA, you become part of our effort to change how console gaming works.

Additional Requirements

You will need a valid credit, debit or prepaid retail card to download OUYA content. Your card will not be charged unless you choose to make a purchase. Though many games on OUYA will not require a purchase to unlock additional content or features, others may offer for purchase in-game products or additional features (like full versions or additional levels).

OUYA… lovingly made by a team of gamers who believe that console games will never die.

I’m a kickstarter backer of OUYA, having a backer number of 44,495. I received my OUYA and extra controller over a month ago.

The Console Itself:It looks great to me and feels great also. It has a hefty weight and is heavier than you’d expect. The fan is on the circuit board itself, and the VENTS are BOTH on the top and bottom. I’ve read and heard so much hate about having a fan on the bottom. There is venting on the top and bottom. The console runs quietly and does not heat up unless playing graphically intense games. The brushed aluminum acts like a heatsink to dissipate heat. With specs like a Nvidia T3+1GB ram, this isn’t a ps4 or a “xbone”. Current consoles are beginning to gear toward sequels and graphics more than fun and games. Although having a good looking game is good, the OUYA’s Tegra 3 chip handles most games well. The laggy games are unoptimized for the T3. I have not gone even halfway full in terms of memory space, and I think the 8GB is sufficient for most people. OUYA has planned to allow expansion via the Usb slot.

Controller:I’ve replaced both of my controllers for the updated retail ones. The controller is incredibly ergonomic. The back of the controller is nice and smooth, and the brushed aluminum has a nice, cold feel. The buttons have a nice mechanical click. The analogs work well, but the surface rubberization and curve could be improves as my fingers start to slide off them during intense gameplay. The D-Pad is soft for my liking, but sensitive and the edges are “sharp” so I don’t have a problem pushing the dpad in the correct direction. The triggers are…ok. I’ve gotten used to their hinge design, but they feel relatively “empty” and not quite as satisfying to press as I’d like.?Do the Buttons Stick?-In the first run of controllers, they did. The retail ones I have now never get stuck.?Controller Lag?-In general, it’s quite nonexistent with the new OS update released today. If the controller is not within a semi-direct line of sight between itself and the console, then problems can occur.

Software:I didn’t really dig the orange/purple theme, but I didn’t hate it either. Setup was easy, and my WIFI NEVER FLAKED and was COMPLETELY STABLE, contrary to some reports. Kickstarter backers have an account already, and I did not need to put a credit card in. For those that sign up, I do believe you can skip that step with a button listed on the bottom of the screen! The Discover section has been vastly improved and is quite smooth when looking for games.

Games:There is no Google Play store. Personally, I’m fine with that. If you think about it, Google Play apps would rarely work with the controller due to lack of optimization, lack of mapped controls, and graphics which are not meant to be blown up to 1080p. OUYA’s own store has a lot of games, and all are free to try. Most of the games are emulator apps or just plain boring. However, I’ve been enjoying games like Stalagflight, Bombsquad, Chronoblade, and Hidden in Plain Sight. There are a couple gems on the OUYA in the midst of mediocre games.

Final Thoughts:Would I recommend this console? Yes. I’m seeing many great games come to the OUYA and many others confirmed.

Opinion Ranting:1. In today’s day and age, I feel that people are so quick to judge. Engadget, The Verge, and many other tech sites strive to give you content as quick as possible. Unfortunately, these sites are followed by many people and directly influence people’s decisions. I was on the very edge of putting my OUYA to ebay after reading the early reviews, even before I got my OUYA. Everyone wants to be quick: finish an errand quickly, finish the game asap. People want to get things done quickly and efficiently, but this leads to errors everywhere. In the end, I’m glad I didn’t sell my OUYA and it’s been a fun and interesting ride on the OUYA bandwagon.2. Negativity is vocal and sticks. I’ve begun to realize that the most vocal OUYA backers are the ones with negative experiences. When something is good, many don’t feel the need to talk out because they don’t need to…the product is up to their standards. There’s nothing to hate or rant about because that product works. It doesn’t work that way for negative opinions. I believe that people try to spread the word if something is bad, even if it may be their problem. The negativity sticks to others and outweights the positives 1:1, if you get what I’m saying. Negative-speakers are more vocal and more effective than positive-speakers, even if the negative-s are a minority.

I’m a kickstarter backer, and I’ve had the console for a couple weeks. I don’t agree with the reviews that claim the Ouya is the worst piece of hardware released, but I also don’t think it’s amazing either.

I think the hardware is decent for a $99 console. It’s not going to be able to handle any AAA games (unless you use onlive), but it can handle some decent looking games. The controller is pretty comfortable, but not as polished as a AAA console controller like the ones for the XBOX 360 and PS3. The triggers and d-pad leave me wanting more, but they are functional. The rest of the buttons and joysticks have performed fine for me so far. The touchpad is okay, it might get better with updates. One plus for the controllers, they work great with other android devices.

The games/software leave a lot to be desired right now. There are a few gems. For example, Stalagflight is surprising addicting. But most of the current games are simple ports of android games that weren’t designed for televisions. Sideloading apps works fine, but not everything runs very smoothly. Sideloaded netflix gives horrible picture quality for example. And some games that should run smoothly on the hardware are laggy.

The potential? Well there are indie games that don’t need AAA quality graphics that could be ported to the Ouya, and there are a few games that are in development that look decent. It also will be a great media box if they can get netflix support. XBMC is currently in development, and works for streaming 1080p video over a home network. And of course, it can run emulators for older consoles.

With the update in games today, it has something to offer as a gaming console, but I would still suggest waiting a bit before purchasing if you only are interested in playing games. If you like to tinker with android devices? It’s a decent purchase at $99.

edit: Controller has been improved since kickstarter version, but I don’t have an updated one to verify that my complaints have been fixed.

I’m pleasantly surprised to find there were quite a few higher quality games released today. I’m adjusting my rating as I feel it is a justified purchase as a gaming console.

If you want to see what Ouya is capable of, check out videos of Shadowgun / Ravensword.